Rent in Farmville is not a concern for many of the college students at Longwood. The University’s policy of mandatory dorm stays until senior year is quite unusual but may save someone from the rental market around Farmville.
According to the Fair Market Rent (FMR) established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) those in Farmville should be expecting rents below $1,000 dollars for anything less than a 4-bedroom apartment. That, however, is not what you’ll see in and around Farmville on websites like Apartments.com and Zillow. On sites like these listings for single bedroom apartments are around $900. The HUD’s market rent is said to be $631, that is a 42% increase. For those aspiring to live in a multi-room apartment with a few friends the fair market rent for a 2 bedroom is listed as $719, but online the prices are in the $1000+ range.
The FMR posted by HUD is a guideline and not representative of all rental situations. Walk2Campus and Green Properties are popular choices for rentals in the Farmville area given their proximity to Longwood University. Though their website will not readily show you pricing, you must inquire about the rental directly. When asked about affordable housing through email, Green Properties responded with approximate ranges for their rent, “One bedrooms are $725-850. Three bedrooms are $950-$1000”. There was also a two-bedroom available for $875 a month. These prices are still well above the FMR outlined by HUD but they are also not the worst offenders in terms of pricing.
It is clear though that rent in Farmville is hard to justify for anyone but those with deep pockets or generous financial support. Most jobs in the Farmville area pay around $11/hour and unless you work full time, it is unrealistic to expect your job to pay your rent. For financially independent students I recommend waiting for rents to fall, hopefully as soon as next semester if analysts questioned by the Associated Press are to be believed. Though since last year rents have been falling in the Farmville area according to rental data on Zillow.com.
If you are brave enough to go forward with a rental, be sure to read the lease and its terms carefully. A common stipulation is for rent to be paid out in full if you break the lease. Meaning if you try to leave early for a more affordable situation elsewhere, you will end up paying the same as if you had stayed. A yearlong lease with a high rent is not going to be re-negotiated if rents fall and can lock you into a tough spot financially, especially given the limited amount of time us students have for work. So do your research and if you need housing fast but affordably try to rent from the surrounding areas, they usually have a better renting situation in terms of prices and areas like Crewe, Rice and Burkeville have previously had competitive rates on offer.
